My goal for 2013 is to raise awareness of Young Onset Parkinson's disease, so I made a slide-show type film for the American Brain Foundation's 2013 Neuro Film Festival.
I asked and received permission from 46 individuals to use their photographs and personal stories in my film. I was shocked by how long it took many of them to get diagnosed properly. I thought my eight year journey was unusual, but it seemed to be the norm. Many were told the exact same things: you drink too much caffeine, you are just under stress, you don't get enough sleep, you are too young to have Parkinson's or my favorite; it's all in your mind.
My film is simple: a slide show with narration, no fancy cinematography, no high tech graphics, no custom music, but I think it makes a good point. All those smiling faces are Young Onset Parkinson's patients.
Please help me spread awareness about Young Onset Parkinson's disease by watching and sharing my film.
To watch my film, use this link: Not our Father's Parkinson's or view it below.
Clicking on the colored words will open a new window and take you to a different story or link.
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ReplyDeletei never really elaborated on my diagnosis, mainly because it was pure divinity that i had sinemet in my medicine cabinet for rls. I had abruptly started taking it when i started having worsened symptoms. Not to say, the rigidity had not gone on for several years and i had an excuse for every symptom from a bad mattress (cervical dystonia, nerves (tremors), hormones (excess sweating) and the bouts of confusion were blamed on the lack of sleep from rls; but since i am usually a chatty kathy it took the abrupt onset of stuttering and postural issues one day to get me to an e.r. It was like all my symptoms had manifested at one time. Particularly on a very hot alabama summer day. The internal tremors and all the other symptoms were"stress" said an er neurologist; but all the xanax, and valium they gave didn't stop them or the tremors and the hotter it got, the worse these symptoms were. I was referred to my neuro who, after mri's, bloodwork and spinal tap, realized that i was his first 30 year old parkinson's patient.Just as you say in your film; "Every neurologist on the planet knows MJFox has it" I had also told him that my tremors stopped for two hours every night when i took sinemet, but after abruptly stopping, i got worse. It wasn't rocket science after that. I dread the summers so much because I can't enjoy them. Temps over 75 are my worst stressor. I often wonder who else out there has this issue.
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